Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-01-27


She had also sat beside him while the
captain, stealing out of the house like
a thief, had galloped down to the vii
lage for the doctor, whom he had
struggled into the house without aWak-
ing any of the servants.
This caution and secrecy had been
decided upon for one powerful reason.
If Arthur DynecOurt should prove
guilty of being the author of his cous-
ms Incarceration, they were quite de-
termined he should not escape what
ever punishment the law allowed. But
the mystery could not be quite cleared
up Until Sir ;Adrian's return to con-
seriousness, when they hoped to have
some light thrown upon the matter
from his own lips.
In the meantime, should Arthur hear
of his Cousins rescue, and know him
self to be guilty of this dastardly at
tempt to murder, would he not take
steps to escape before the law should
lay it's iron grasp upon him? All four
cOnspiratorS are too ignorant of the
power of the law to know whether it
would be juStifable in the present cir
cumStanceS to place him under arrest,
or decide on waiting until Sir Adrian
himself shall be able to pronounce
either his doom or his eXculpation.
The doctor stays all night, and adj
ministers to the exhausted man, as
often as he dares, the nOurishment and
good things provided by the old house
keeper.
When the morning is far advanced,
Adrian, waking rom a snort put re-
freShing Slumber looks anXiouSiy
around him. Florence, seeing this
steps aside, as though to make way for
Dora to 90 closer to him. But Mrs.
Talbot, covering her face with her
hands, turns aside and sinks into a
chair.
Florence, much beWildered by this
strange conduct, stands irresOlute be-
side the bed, hardly knowing what to
do. Again she chances at the PROSTATE
man, and sees his eyes resting upon
her, with an expression in them that
makes her heart beat rapidly with
sweet but sad recOllectiOns.
Then faint voice falls upon her ear.
It is so weak that she is obliged to
stOOp over him to catch what he is try
ing to say.
Darling, | owe you my life"
With great feebleness he utters these
words, accompanying them with a
glance of utter devotion. How can she
mistake his glance, SO full of love and
rapture? Perplexed III the extreme,
she turns from him, as though to leave
him, but by a gesture he detains ner.
do not leave me! Stay with me"
he entreats.
Once again, deeply distressed, she
looks at Dora. Mrs. Talbot, rising,
says distinctly, but with a shamefaced
expression
''DO as he asks you. Believe me, by
his side is your proper place, not mine"
Saying this, she glides quickly from
the room, and does not appear again
for hours.
BY Iuncheon-time it occurs to the
guests that Arthur Dynecourt has not
been seen since last evening.
RlngWOOd, carrying this news to the
sick-rOOm, the little Tescuing party and
their auXiliarieS, the nurse and doctor,
lay their heads together, and decide
that, doubtless, having discovered the
escape OF his prisoner, and, dreadiEg
arrest, Arthur has quietly taken him
self off, and SO avoided the trial and
punishment which would otherwise
have fallen upon him.
RingWOOd is now of opinion that
they have acted unWisely in concealiing
the discovery Of Sir Adrian in tire
haunted chamber. By not speaking to
the others, they have given DynecoGrt
the opportunity of getting away safely,
and Without causing suspicion.
is 1t not an almost conclusive proof
OF his guilt, his running away in this
cOWardly fashion, says Ethel Villiers.
Il think papa and Lady FitzAlmOnt
and everybody should be told"
So RingWood, undertaking the Office
Of tale-bearer, goes downstairs, and,
bringing together all the people still
remaining in the house, astOunds them
by his revelation of the discovery and
release Of Sir Adrian.
The nearest magistrate is sent for,
and the case being laid before him, to-
gether with the still further evidence
given by Sir Adrian himself, who has
told them in a weak whisper of Ar
thurs being priyy to his intention of
searching the haunted chamber for
Florence'S bangle on that memorable
day of his disappearance, the magiS-
trate issues a warrant for the arrest of
Arthur DyneCOurt.
But it is all in vain; even though two
of the cleYereSt detectives from Scot
land Yard are pressed into the service,
no tidings of Arthur DynecOurt come
to light. A man answering to his de-
scriptiOn, but wearing spectacleS, had
been traced as having gone on board
vessel bound for New York the very
uClJ dlGCl Cl1 LAullCtu " do lCSplO1OI W
the world, and, when search in other
quarters fails, every one falls into the
ready belief that this specialized man
was in reality the Would-be murderer.
So the days pass on, and it is now
quite month since Ringwood and
Florence carried Sir Adrian's senseless
form from the haunted chamber, and
still Florence holds herself aloof from
the man she loves, and, though quite
as asSiduoUs as the others in her atten-
tions to him, seems always eager to get
away from him, and glad to escape any
chance of a tete-d-tete with him. This
she does in defiance of the fact that
Mrs. Talbot never approaches him ex-
cept when absolutely compelled.
Sir Adrian is still a great invalid.
The shock to his nervous system, the
dragging out of those interminable
hours in the lonely chamber, and the
strain upon his physical powers by the
absence of nutriment for seven long
days and nights, had all combined to
shatter a constitution once robust. He
is now greatly improved in health, and
has been recommended by his doctors
to try winter in the south of France
or Algiers.
He shows himself however STRANGE